Thursday, April 19, 2012

The "Door of Evil"

"British courts have found that Abu Qatada is a dangerous man.  He is a risk to our national security and he should be deported to Jordan.  I believe the assurances and the information we have gathered will mean we can soon put Qatada on a plane and get him out of our country for good."  British Home Secretary Theresa May.

Based on the assurances from Jordan that Jordanian-born cleric Abu Qatada - who has been under house arrest because a court claimed his detention without trial was unlawful, ensuring his release from a British prison - would there receive a fair trial, Britain plans to finally rid itself of the man once described as Osama bin Laden's "right-hand man in Europe".

There is no reason quite yet to breathe a sigh of relief at ridding themselves of his poisonous presence.  He remains as yet at his family London home.  Where he has been since the European Court of Human Rights ruled he would not receive a fair trial if deported to Jordan, since as they take it, evidence against him might have been gathered with the use of torture.

Of course fanatical Islamists who subscribe to the unshakable obligation of pious Muslims to join in violent jihad against non-Muslims have no such caveats themselves.  They do not hesitate to inflict pain and torture on those whom they despise, much less death.  Their idea of how they may conduct themselves in accord with Sharia law, reflects little of what Western countries consider "civility", as in civilization.

Britain has satisfied itself that its conscience will be clear, deporting this threat to the country back to whence he came.  Not that Jordan is happy to welcome him back other than as a terrorist threat to themselves as well, for it is not only infidels whom al Qaeda and other Islamist fanatics target, but Muslims as well, whose lacklustre attention to Islamism they deplore.

That's the thing about Western societies.  They revel in their high degree of civilized behaviour, their respect for justice, for objective and non-negotiable human values.  And even toward those whose intention it is to do them viciously irreparable harm, they intend no malice, simply to disarm them and pack them off where they hope they can do no further harm.

It has been over a decade since British authorities have been trying to deport this man, Omar Othman, better known as Abu Qatada.  Videotapes of his sermons implicated him by association with three of the jihadists who took part in the al-Qaeda-led September 11, 2001 attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

This man represents himself as an innocent father of five, denying any links with al-Qaeda.  Oddly enough, al-Qaeda has given warning to Britain that should it proceed with its plans to send Mr. Qatada to Jordan, it would effectively serve as a signal to fling open the "door of evil" upon Britain.

Labels: , , , , ,

Follow @rheytah Tweet